Storm batters Alipurduar, Cooch Behar: 3 die, 600 houses damaged

The gale, which continued for around 40 minutes, snapped power cables and almost 100 electric poles were uprooted

The remains of the tin-roofed homes destroyed in the storm in Tufanganj 2 block of Cooch Behar district.  : Main Uddin Chisti

TT Bureau   |   Alipurduar/Cooch Behar   |   16.04.22  : Three persons died and around 600 houses were completely damaged in a storm that scythed through three blocks of Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts on Thursday night.

The storm also destroyed several acres of agricultural land. Officials of the blocks concerned visited the areas ravaged by the calamity, along gram panchayat members, and distributed relief to the affected families. They also formed teams to estimate the damage.

Around 9pm on Thursday, it started raining in Alipurduar 2 and Kumargram blocks of Alipurduar district and Tufanganj 2 block of Cooch Behar district.

“Suddenly, we felt a strong gale and soon, it developed into a storm. I was sitting inside my house with my family and suddenly, the tins of the roof were blown away. Trees were uprooted and we could hear people shouting for help. After some time, the wooden plank on which the tins were fitted, collapsed in the room,” Kumargram resident Bijoy Roy said.

Sumati Das, 34, a resident of Kamakhyaguri 1 panchayat in Kumargram block, died when an uprooted tree fell on her in front of her house. She was returning home with her husband, son and three-year-old daughter from a local fair. Her husband and the son managed to get inside the house but Sumati, who was cradling her daughter, could not. Her daughter escaped unhurt.

Another woman, aged around 40 years, died after being struck by lightning in Kumargram block. She is yet to be identified.

Sunil Bhise, 27, a truck driver who used to stay in Rampur of Tufanganj 2 block, died after a tree fell on him.

The storm brought down several tinned-roof houses in the three blocks. According to an initial estimate, around 500 houses were destroyed completely in Alipurduar district. Around 300 homes were partially damaged.

In Tufanganj 2 block, at least 100 houses were razed to the ground. The affected families have taken shelter in nearby areas, said sources in the administration.

The storm, which continued for around 40 minutes, snapped power cables and almost 100 electric poles were uprooted.

In Alipurduar district, shopkeepers at Kamakhyaguri, Samuktala and Barobisha suffered losses on the eve of the Bengali New Year. The situation was same at Rampur and Jorai, two affected areas in Tufanganj 2 block.

Alipurduar zilla parishad sabhadhipati Sheela Das visited the affected areas to take stock of the situation.

“We are collecting reports from the affected people and will send the same to the government. The power department is working round the clock to restore electricity at the affected villages,” said Das.

The storm has left three persons injured in Tufanganj 2 block. A number of rural roads have got blocked because of uprooted trees.

“We have engaged workers to cut the uprooted trees and clear the roads. The families have been provided with relief. We are estimating the loss,” Tufanganj 2 block development officer Prasenjit Kundu said.